MARGAO
With the 2027 Goa Assembly elections drawing closer, a group of non-BJP and non-Congress parties are exploring the possibility of coming together under a common platform to offer voters an alternative political front.
Sources said preliminary discussions are understood to have begun between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Goa Forward Party (GFP) on the possibility of forging an alliance with the 2027 elections in mind. The talks are still at an informal stage, but leaders of both parties are believed to have discussed the evolving political situation in the State and possible strategies to challenge the BJP in the next Assembly elections.
The move comes at a time when the Congress has initiated discussions with the regional Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) over a possible electoral alliance. However, leaders in the AAP and GFP believe there is growing space for a broader political formation comprising parties that are neither aligned with the BJP nor willing to enter into an arrangement dominated by the Congress.
The possibility of such a third front has gained attention following the growing bonhomie between AAP and GFP legislators, both inside the Goa Legislative Assembly and outside it, in recent weeks. The two parties have increasingly appeared to find common ground on issues, prompting speculation that their cooperation could eventually develop into a formal electoral understanding.
An AAP leader confirmed that informal discussions had taken place between functionaries of the two parties. “Both parties have underscored the need to dislodge the BJP in 2027. There have been informal discussions on how like-minded forces can come together and provide an alternative to the people of Goa,” the AAP leader said.
An AAP leader suggested that seat-sharing may not prove to be a major stumbling block between the AAP and GFP if the two parties decide to formally join hands. “The strengths of the two parties do not clash in most constituencies. There could perhaps be an issue in three or four seats, but overall, seat-sharing should not be a major problem,” the leader said.
A GFP leader also confirmed that the party was exploring the possibility of putting together a third front ahead of the 2027 election. “We have found the Congress not serious in pursuing the alliance. Our leader keeps repeating that the Congress would score a hat-trick of defections in 2027. Hence, we too are exploring other options to defeat the BJP in the coming elections,” the GFP leader said.
For AAP and GFP, the immediate challenge will be to translate their growing political understanding into an organisational and electoral arrangement.
The emerging discussions could therefore have implications beyond the two parties. If AAP and GFP succeed in building a common platform, they could seek to bring other smaller political formations and regional leaders into the proposed alliance. The inclusion of the Goa Congress Party or factions emerging from existing regional outfits could potentially broaden the front’s electoral footprint.
